- Title: Palestinians flee Rafah after Israel issues evacuation orders
- Date: 31st March 2025
- Summary: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (MARCH 31, 2025) (REUTERS) TRUCKS CARRYING DISPLACED PALESTINIANS AND THEIR BELONGINGS BEING DRAGGED BY VEHICLES CHILDREN WAITING ON STREET SIDE / PALESTINIANS MOVING WITH THEIR BELONGINGS PALESTINIANS WALKING WITH THEIR BELONGINGS / VEHICLES DRIVING PAST (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DISPLACED PALESTINIAN FROM RAFAH, HAIFA DUHAIR, SAYING: "We fled the first time
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: DISPLACED GAZA ISRAEL KHAN YOUNIS PALESTINIANS RAFAH
- Location: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA
- City: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA
- Country: Palestinian Occupied Territory
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA001303231032025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Gazans were on the move again in the south of the enclave on Monday (March 31) fleeing neighbourhoods in and around Rafah after Israel issued new evacuation orders telling people to relocate to Al Mawasi, an area on the shoreline.
"The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) is returning to intense operations to dismantle the capabilities of the terrorist organizations in these areas," the military's Arabic language spokesperson said in a statement.
The Israeli military, which has cut off aid to Gaza, resumed operations on March 18 after a two-month truce, during which 33 Israeli and five Thai hostages were released in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel would step up pressure on Hamas but would continue negotiations "under fire". Continued military pressure was the best means of securing the return of the hostages, he said.
Netanyahu also repeated Israeli demands for Hamas to disarm although the Palestinian militant movement has rejected such calls as a "red line" it will not cross.
Netanyahu said Hamas leaders would be allowed to leave Gaza under a wider settlement that would include proposals from U.S. President Donald Trump for the "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians from the narrow Strip.
Hamas said at the weekend that it had accepted proposals made by Qatari and Egyptian mediators which security sources said would entail five hostages being released every week in exchange for a truce.
Officials on Monday said Israel has proposed an extended truce in Gaza in exchange for the return of about half the remaining hostages, Israeli officials said on Monday.
(Production: Hatem Khaled, Bassam Masoud, Joelle Kozaily) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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